My Political Woes

Every once and awhile, I try to figure out my political orientation. I won't lie. I vote Republican because it's quick and easy for me. Socially and economically conservative, with a nice helping of small government rhetoric on the side.

But here’s the rub, I’m a staunch defender of freedom of consciousness. I go as far as defend a pharmacist’s right to refuse to fill a prescription based on moral grounds. (Mind you, that doesn’t mean the pharmacist has the right to seize the prescription. The prescription is the property of the patient. But that’s a debate for another time.) So being a Republican isn’t the greatest fit at times.

Plus, let’s be honest. The likeliness of the Republicans shrinking the federal government is the same as the likeness that Microsoft is going to go open source. They have a vested interest to keep the federal government as bloated as possible.

So it looks like Libertarianism might be a good fit. Ah, but rub number two, I also believe in the place of community. I think the heart of many problems facing our society is our worship of radical individualism. We need solid, stable communities in order to have sold, stable people.

Humans are created to be embedded in a tangled web of relationships with family, friends, acquaintances, and enemies. And I don’t mean virtual relationships. I mean real life, can’t get around them no matter what, relationships.

So what I want is a political ethic that respects both the individual and the community. It’s a paradox, but hey I embrace the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ, so I’m okay with paradox.

Here are the competing interests for me. On the one hand, I want people like the Amish to be able to form a city and run it according to their beliefs. I want them to have the political power to protect the sanctity of their community. If you want to live in that city, then you will have to agree to live according to Amish principles. (Here I’m using the Amish as the prime example of a community with a specific established lifestyle. You could substitute a commune, Tibetan monastic, Israeli kibbutz, etc. for Amish if you want.)

On the other hand, if you’re living in just a standard city, say, Richmond, VA. I want the city to respect your rights as an individual. Let’s call places like Richmond, VA, open cities. This means that I want you to be able to read any book you want in the privacy of your own home. (I’m NOT advocating reading Hustler at the Elementary School playground.) You have the right to define your life (within reason) as you see fit. So you determine your sexual orientation, your job, your favorite places to hang out, your religion, etc.

Maybe the problem is that it’s hard for me to disentangle my political views from my thoughts on society. But politics is supposed to be about helping people form a good society. We should be seeking to create a society that fosters maximum well being. The problem might be we think of politics as making sure individuals get what they want. Maybe letting individuals run rampant is bad for society.

I think the good society is a blend of individual and community rights. A balance that will need to be constantly negotiated as we try to create a place where people can grow and mature into the person they envision. However, we don’t always know what’s best for ourselves, so we need a community that challenges us. A community that has the right to question what we’re doing with our lives. If someone wants to be a white supremacist, certainly I don’t think a community should be able to stop them. But, it should confront them to make sure they understand the full implications that lifestyle will bring. Once the individual shows the maturity that make that decision then the community lets them down the path they’ve chosen.

Look I don’t have an answer. I don’t even know if there is an answer. I’m just trying to sort it out and looking for a little feedback.